Stories of Chrono Trigger: Before the Tale
by Novalon
Summary: A tale dabbled with, laid in proverbial cobwebs of data on my hard drive, The final chapter that I can muster has been written, with an uncertainty for more tales in the future! As always, read and review!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Chrono Trigger, it is the property of Square-Enix. Though they could at least lay a partial claim to some of the characters in this tale, for all intents and purposes, they are my own to peruse… well, you will understand what I mean at the conclusion of the first chapter…

- Novalon

_"It is history that defines our future."_

_--_

An early morning mist covered the hallowed area that was known as Truce Canyon. The mists gave a sort of chilling aspect to the area, as if the long dead spirits, lost to various wars, had come to gather to those who paid their respects.

Yes, it was on this day that a ceremony was held to honor the fallen. Those who had long passed, whether they had lost or lived out their lives in service of their country, there was no difference.

It was on this day, January 29, 981 AD, a young man stood at the center of the congregation, bowing his head in reverence. His fiery red hair glistening in the morning light, providing a sharp contrast to the plain colors worn by others.

This was merely a time of sad remembrance, for it would be later that everyone would be joyously proclaiming to all in reverie, at the very spot where a war had been declared over nearly 400 years prior.

The man at the center of the crowd was key to this ceremony; after all, it was his own ancestor, a great captain of knights, who first held the morning ritual. He raised his head to the sky, drawing a great broadsword from a back-sheath. He raised the ancient blade, as a burst of energy suddenly shot upward from it. The energy dispelled the mists, as if it was bringing closure to wandering spirits, and the crowd burst forth in jubilation.

--

Stories of Chrono Trigger Before the Tale 

--

Alexander Truce was a wealthy man, but one of who all would be proud to have known. Unlike many of the nobles of the time, his lack of arrogance and superiority were legendary among the land, and he had been known to befriend many without any trouble at all. Even on this day of days, he stood clothed in the garb of a traveler, having just returned from a trip to Medina on business. As the mayor of Truce's son, he was expected of such things, but never with the calm and easygoing demeanor of what most would expect from common servants.

"That was a fantastic service, Jon."

Jonathan, with his fiery red hair defying the norm, nodded in approval.

To say that Jonathan Triggare was a normal man, though, is far from the truth. While not a noble, Jonathan was the descendant of a long line of great warriors, one of the most well known being Captain Glenn Triggare, who defeated the wizard Magus long ago. Being the heir to the ancient sword, Masamune, Jonathan was expected to follow in his ancestor's footsteps, no matter how lofty they may have seemed. Of course, to say that this was impossible for a man like Jonathan was also far from the truth. It is said by the great swordsman historians, that Jonathan may be the greatest the Triggare line has produced since Sir Glenn, and perhaps may be his ancestor's equal. It comes as no surprise then that Jonathan himself was a Knight of Guardia, and had recently been given the title of Captain.

Alexander's dark brown hair stood in sharp contrast to Jonathan's wild red hair, yet for passersby, it was nothing new.

Jonathan's green eyes twinkled, using the Masamune to expel energy like that always made him a little worn out. He still held his gaze evenly as he responded.

"I aim to please, Alex."

The two chuckled, around them there was bustling of activity for the festival of the heroes. Jonathan motioned to the old man nearby, telling a tale to a group of children, of the mysterious fiery haired warrior, Crono, wielding the power of storm clouds, who teamed with the great Glenn of Guardia to take down the evil Wizard Magus once and for all.

"Don't you wish you could go on an adventure like that, Alex? To use something only the mystics have claimed? To take down evil alongside a great warrior, and save the kingdom from certain doom?"

"You are quite the hopeless romantic. Though I admit, had I my choice of power, the chilly winds would not escape my adversaries."

The old man stood up, causing the children to all move back to give him room.

"And the great Glenn of Guardia hefted the Masamune nigh, and in a voice filled with anguish over years of torment wailed: 'Thou hast devasted me for the last time, demon! Mine divine blade shall fetter thine blood across the ground, and this war will at last meet it's end!' But before the great hero could do so… some say the world shuddered…"

Alex shook his head, "Now this is the part I do not understand. How could an earthquake happen at that precise moment?"

He looked to Jonathan for an answer, but found him lost in thought. The sword in his hands was also glowing a faint blue.

The old man pointed to the sword, "And there! The Masamune glows as it did that day! For the ground swallowed up the combatants, and they were taken with great speed to a far away land… the once cursed hero speaks of a city where time had not passed, with great lizards and primitive people! And later, a great civilization above the clouds! Some say it was the forgotten Kingdom of Zeal, from where the first Queen of Guardia was said to hail…"

A faint wind seemed to pick up, Jonathan turned to Alexander, his thoughts collected.

"To answer your question of the earthquake… it was… Lavos. The beast that Sir Glenn helped the hero Crono defeat."

Alex chuckled, "You believe that old wives tale?"

Jonathan shook his head, "You would not understand. But you know the Masamune is a magical blade, correct?"

Alexander nodded.

"Do not be surprised when I say that the blade speaks to the wielder. If you know anything about it, know that to be true."

Alexander nodded again.

"So is it so preposterous that the Masamune would know what happened on that day?"

The noble man shrugged, "I guess you have me there, friend."

Jonathan stood for a moment, as if awaiting something more to be said, then finally chuckled.

"The spirits of the blade thank you for at least considering it, so few people do anymore, despite various texts written by the Triggare line."

"No offense, Jon, but for one to hear voices from a sword? It sounds quite crazy, if you ask me."

Jonathan sighed, before striding to the center of the square, calling people over to him.

"Here, I will dispel the rumors of previous members of my family line being crazy, for here, I summon the twin spirits of the blade!"

He forcefully shoved the sword into the ground, as a torrent of wind picked up throughout the square, blowing off a nearby man's hat.

"Masa! Mune! Bring the truth to the nonbelievers!"

The wind slowed, but the sword, once glowing, had disappeared. In its place were two small creatures, possibly 3 quarters the average adult male size. Some described them as mystic-like… though most mystics would disagree, stating the two were of some unknown race.

One of the creatures pointed at Alex.

"And you doubt your friend! For shame!"

"Don't be so hard on him Masa. After all, Glenn rarely summoned us at all."

"No one thought he was crazy!"

"They figured that what the Prince had done was enough! Don't you understand? He lived with a curse upon his body for ten years! Of course people would give him the benefit of the doubt if they thought he was a little off his rocker!"

"As always, Mune, you come up with an answer. Sometimes I wish I had your knowledge."

"And sometimes I wish I had your bravery…"

The two turned to Jonathan.

"Was that sufficient, Sir Jonathan?" asked Mune.

The Knight Captain nodded, "Thank you, very much."

"It was our pleasure." The thinker of the two replied.

"Let's return to the sword, brother!"

The two glowed, and suddenly the sword was sticking in the ground again. The old man who was telling the story gaped before waving his arms in the air.

"Imagine, the great story of the spirits of the blade! Masa and Mune! Creatures that knew Sir Glenn personally! Even more so, they had met the mysterious hero, Crono! Or the Lady Marle, of the icy winds, who was said to look like Queen Leene herself! Or of Lucca, the inventor, lady of the searing flames! Or Sir Robo, of he whose strength was so great, that he wore armor the likes of which none other could wear!"

Jonathan chuckled as the old man started gathering the children around again to tell them the tales of the other heroes.

Alexander was about to comment, but froze as he saw a figure moving up the stairs near the venerable bell that hung in the square. The figure was a woman, which he was very much sure of as he noticed her shapely features, with an odd orange hue of hair atop her head. He motioned to Jonathan to match his glance, but as he tried to pinpoint the area she was last at, the woman had disappeared.

Jonathan shook his head, "I trust you when you said you saw a pretty girl, but don't forget what you will eventually have to do…"

Alexander groaned. Of course he did not want to be reminded. As the son of a noble family, he was one of the chosen suitors to meet with Princess Aliza Guardia, a thought he did not relish much. He had not heard much about the Princess, save for she was difficult to deal with as far as matters with the state were concerned.

The Knight Captain smiled, "Don't be so glum, Alex. I've met the Princess myself, I think you two would get along fine…"

Alexander smiled back at his friend, "What about you? Don't you have your eye on her?"

Jonathan shook his head, motioning to a fair, green haired woman, who was walking around the square clutching a cat.

"I'm afraid Miss Jina Harvey has caught my eye. We have been somewhat acquainted due to our families having been good friends, but… I don't know if she feels the same…"

Alexander sighed, "At least you know where your heart is leading you, Jon. I may have to sign myself away to some Princess I barely know…"

"Tell you what, Alex… go look for that girl you noticed earlier… I will speak with Jina… perhaps we may both find something that brightens our day?"

He complied, motioning Jonathan to go on ahead. Alexander made his way around the crowd listening to the old man speak, to see if he could find the girl he was looking for.

"Oh!"

Alex would have chuckled at the irony of the situation, for the girl he was looking for had run straight into him. She looked around uneasily at the crowd before looking up at the tall man she had run into.

"Excuse me, sir, I am afraid that I was lost in the splendor of the day. The festival seems to be too much, I find myself in awe…"

Alexander smirked, looking to her beautiful face, "And what do they call you, miss?"

She looked around uneasily again, causing concern for Alexander, "M-Marle, sir."

"Marle? As in the warrior woman of the past? Aye, you were named well, I am sure. Since I have not seen you around here before, I see you may not know exactly who I am, I am Alexander, of the house of Truce."

She raised an eyebrow at this statement, "A noble? Forgive my impudence, but you look more like a traveler than the norm."

He smiled, "I am a man of many talents, Miss Marle, for I have journeyed far and long, both in service to my house, and for the thrill of the journey itself."

"Such thrills are lost among the nobility I've met…" she muttered. "But about you, Sir Alexander…"

He chuckled, "Just Alex, please, I simply abhor titles… they detract from familiarity, wouldn't you say?"

Marle nodded, before uneasily watching behind her, "Yes, I agree with you wholeheartedly. Say, is there not somewhere more private that we can speak? I must say, I am not used to crowds, as much as you seem to carry yourself, and I would appreciate more quiet company…"

Alex smirked, "Of course, Miss Marle. Perhaps a walk around Truce? I should probably be checking in with my household anyhow… business, of course, you understand."

"Oh yes, quite… it can get boring…" She then froze, looking behind Alexander without speaking further.

He turned around to see what she was so shaken about, only to come to view with the surprised face of Jonathan.

"Ah, Jon, my friend. Miss Marle and I were just having a wonderful discussion. Could you have been a little less discreet?"

Jonathan looked over to Marle, and unbeknownst to Alexander, she had mouthed the words: _"Please do not tell him…"_

"I was just surprised to see you speaking with her, that is all. I have had the pleasure of meeting _Miss Marle_ before… though that is a story that I would rather not go into great detail about…" He paused, catching her _"Thank you"_ as he forced himself to keep his surprise down. "I am afraid I cannot stay to chat, I have secured a date with Jina, though it must be of the utmost haste. The next day she is to leave for Porre, to visit relatives who will be leaving on a journey to the islands of El Nido to the South… an interesting place, that."

Alexander nodded, "I have had the pleasure of seeing El Nido once… truly a marvel, and a stark contrast to what I am used to."

"Well, I must be off. I will speak with you tomorrow, Alex, before your…" He paused, glancing at Marle, "… your _meeting with the Princess_."

Alexander heard the sharp intake of air and chuckled, "My Lady, pay it no heed, as a noble I am required to at least try and court the Princess, though I do not completely relish it… I would rather pick the person I wed, wouldn't you agree, Jon?"

But his friend had already left. Alexander nodded, knowing his friend was loath to miss an appointment, especially one as important as one with a beautiful woman.

"Oh well, I suppose the conversation would be interesting, I hear she is a bit of a free spirit, and being a free spirit myself, well… oh, I apologize Miss Marle, it is really a boring matter, and I would rather keep this conversation more about ourselves than of the more trivial matters of what is required of us…"

Taking a deep breath, Marle brought her face to Alexander, lines of worry smoothing to a warm smile.

"Such a wonderful statement, would that I have met men of half the charm and wit that you so effortlessly carry… well, shall we be off?"

He matched her smile, "Follow my lead, my lady, and let us not waste the day."

As they left, the tolling of Leene's bell brought an ominous tone, as if telling of the impending future.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: Finally, a short break, I usually work on these in pieces, and it can be months before I make any significant progress, and I've been meticulous about reading things over to make sure they work out. After all, I'd hate for something of mine to be the kind of thing that the "Fanfiction Force" would deem unacceptable.

Thanks for all the helpful reviews, and I'll try not to disappoint.

Small addition: All right, it really took me a long time to get this one out. You can blame school if you must, but right now, I'm on break, so I can get more work done on the following chapters.

I have a plot, I'm just meticulous about the way I want it to be conveyed, but I intend to finish this one.

--

"You're telling me an Imp picked up his large servant by the tail and hefted him out of the room?"

"Well, the servant was still relatively young, but the fact remains that I never thought I would see the day when an Imp would toss one of Ozzie's family… at all!"

--

"Sir Jonathan did what?! But he is one of the most upstanding…"

"My dear Marle, even a Knight can do roguish endeavors when he has had more than his fill of alcohol…"

--

"How do I know Sir Jonathan? Well… I guess the best way to put it is that our families have been old friends…"

"My Lady, you must come from quite an upstanding family then. Why, I bet the royals would be jealous of such longstanding camaraderie…"

"I really cannot say, Alexan-"

"Alex."

"Right, Alex, I am sorry. I am not used to such-"

"Nothing to be sorry about, Marle, as you notice, I still slip up with you, but I would hold any woman of such charm in similar regard."

--

"Alex, there is something that still holds my focus. It surprises me that you are as worldly as a traveler, despite from being of the house of Truce. What does your family think of the deviation?"

"You know, I had a conversation with my father about this before I left on my last trip. He always wanted to do the same thing, himself, and it was one of his biggest regrets. Even still, he talks about opening up a kind of starter school on the finer points of travel. Now he may not be as worldly as I am, but he certainly has read more than his fair share about how to best prepare yourself in the world…"

"Oh my, that is quite a noble endeavor."

"Something a noble should do, right? Anyhow, he told me when I was young that I would have my best life experiences if I saw the sights of the world, and when the time came for me to settle down and do my duty, that I would be a better man for it. Also, it lets the world know just how the House of Truce wants to expand influence… as you know there are areas of this world that could use aid, and it is not as if Truce is faring terribly."

"Absolutely no poor, right? I mean, that is what I have heard…"

"Exactly. But it comes at a price, every man must work, and even women must if the time calls for it. The growth of business is especially important, and I can see great changes for the entire world if they adopted such a system."

"Self-sufficient, rather than operating under the crown? Sounds revolutionary…"

"Now I am not against the idea of a Kingdom, indeed, there are those that have their purpose in life as well. Even the King's rebellious daughter will have to realize that she will need to keep her people safe. I believe the presence of the crown is for the safety of the people, to also discuss terms with foreign powers should the need arise, after all, while war can be necessary, the best way to protect a nation's people is to have no war at all… everyone, even the princess, should hopefully understand this, because it is something we all have to deal with…"

"…"

"Miss Marle? Have I offended you by talking about politics? I-"

"No, Alex. It is certainly a lot to think about, and I see what kind of passion you hold for that kind of thing, and surely it is that kind of a quality that the King is looking for in his daughter's suitors…"

"But, I would sooner see a man of similar ideas take said power, after all, I would rather make my own choice for who I want to marry, but since this would be a duty to my family, I cannot back away from it so easily…"

"You could run away."

"That would be a waste, for everything that my family has done for me, I would not be the person today if I had grown up elsewhere. It is my experience traveling in the world that would prevent me from doing that, still, since when I am away, there is always that longing for home. No, Marle, running would not solve the problem… and if I must sacrifice my personal wishes, then that is but a small price to pay for the dignity of my family, and my service to the people, both of Truce and the Kingdom."

"It would be a waste, would it not? I guess I had never thought that way, I always think of running from my problems, but to think of the inevitability of it all, and the fact that it would soil the honor of my family… you are as wise as you are charming, Alex."

--

Stories of Chrono Trigger Before the Tale 

_Chapter 2_

--

It was surreal; the entire experience of discussing anything and everything with such a remarkable woman was almost too much for Alexander to firmly grasp. It was as if she was the person he was looking for, certainly one of the more interesting noble's he had met.

He was sure she was a noble anyhow, the simple way she upheld herself, though he could see she was trying to hide it. But from what noble family, he could not decipher, nor did he feel that it was really necessary to ask.

After all, why not respect the ladies wishes to remain a little more anonymous; after all, a noble put their life in jeopardy when they traveled, especially without a bodyguard of some sort. Alexander himself had traveled under several pseudonyms in order to deter from any sort of trouble with various thieving groups, though if the time came to it, he could hold himself in a fight.

All the sparring he did with Jonathan, though being exempt from military duty due to being a part of a noble family, Alexander himself was no stranger to swordplay, though he believed his own abilities paled in comparison.

Still, because of Jonathan's meticulous instruction, Alexander believed that he was on par with many of the upper ranked Knights, although this was more from Jonathan's opinions from what little time they had to practice.

The air gave a slight chill, but to Alexander, it was the feel of home. Living near the water caused such chills to come from the open air, and he relished in the feeling of being nearby. A man with the spirit of adventure, but with the unfortunate bringing of a noble, and all the responsibilities it entailed.

Yes, at one time he had considered running. Traveling the world as a vagabond swordsman, but he realized the dishonor it would cause to his very supportive father. He understood that he would not be the man he was today if it were not for his father allowing him to travel.

Still, the traveling had its purpose, the House of Truce was known to many, even to the far lands across the globe.

His thoughts were shaken by a sudden sense of dread. He wished he could have escorted Marle to wherever she was staying, but she vehemently disagreed. He understood, of course, to be seen with a local noble would undoubtedly blow whatever cover she was keeping, and he respected the privacy a noble took when traveling.

Curious… as he rounded the bend, he saw a young boy standing eagerly at the entrance to the Truce estate.

During his conversation with Marle, they took to the back roads near his family's estate… how much time had it been since the conversation… an hour, two? He hadn't noticed the boy before, but the child seemed very intent on waiting for someone to speak with him.

Alexander walked up to the boy, who upon closer inspection, he looked to be a traveling merchant's son, still too young to have a shifty look about his bright eyed wonder.

"Young man, what brings you to this estate?"

The boy spun around in amazement, looking at the towering individual in front of him.

"I have a message for the Lord of the house, sir! It's written right here. Some strange man at the fair paid me a lot of gold to do this… as my father always tells me, never pass up the opportunity to make easy coin!"

A traveling merchant indeed. This boy would likely take after his father well.

"This is my father's house, but I believe that would make me entitled to the message?"

The boy smiled, "Ah, you are Lord Alexander? It is an honor, sir! Here is the message!"

He hastily gave the message to Alexander, before nervously looking around.

"I have to go back to my father now, sir…"

Alexander halted the boy before reading the message.

"Can you tell me what the strange man looked like? I must admit this comes as a surprise to me."

The boy nodded, "He looked like he was from Porre, anyway, he was dressed like it. He constantly looked around like he was being followed or something, maybe looking around for someone. My father actually verified the transaction and sent me here, but I'll get my cut for doing the busy work, of course."

A traveling merchant indeed…

"Right, thank you for you help. Go ahead and run along now, I am sure your father has much more for you to do."

The boy ran off.

Alex slowly opened the message, running his eyes along the scratched handwriting. While it was difficult to make out, the message was clear. Alexander seethed as he crumpled the message in his hand.

"Kidnapping… ransom… the very nerve! Those thieves are getting smarter all the time… oh and don't bring the guards or she dies, brilliantly evil!"

He failed to calm himself as expletives rose and fell, even a noble brought to rage can exhibit the most colorful speech when given the chance.

He looked around, "Fiona's forest… of course, they likely holed up near where the legendary hero spent ten years of his life… what a desecration… no guards? Doesn't say anything about the Knight Captain though…"

There was no time to lose, Marle's life was at stake! Alexander ran to the only place where he knew he could get help.

"Alex, what's the big-"

Jonathan glanced at the grim face of his friend before slowly opening the offered message, which could have seen better shape.

His eyes narrowed uneasily, "This… this is… I…"

His face went deathly white before a rare rage took him over.

"Where the hell were you during this?!"

Alexander grimaced, "Around the estate, she insisted that I could not take her back to wherever she was staying… just what the hell is this about?"

Jonathan growled, "This is not the first time I have seen a message like this. There is a group of thieves'… murderers even! They have been plaguing the trails near Fiona's forest for quite some time… and they have eluded my grasp because of how hard it is to actually find someone in that area. That, and the provincial mayor loves to take matters into his own hands with his own brand of 'Knights'. We need to beat them there!"

Alexander coughed, "But how? Even if we could secure a horse, it would be difficult to catch up to them. We'd have to beat the beasts to exhaustion!"

Jonathan smirked, "Who said anything about a horse? You've forgotten about our old friend, the inventor."

Alexander cocked his head to the side quizzically before he slammed his palm to his forehead.

"Of course! Taban was working on a new kind of boat! We'll stop them before they even pass the central path near the cathedral! And we know that it's the only passable route! This is brilliant!"

Ashtear Island, home to the most brilliant inventors and engineers in the world. The current Ashtear, a young stout man by the name of Taban, was known far and wide for his eccentricity, as well as his intelligence.

Hard at work tinkering with a small machine, he didn't even turn to see who had come to visit him.

"What? No, I already paid my taxes. Go on, be of-"

"Taban."

The resolute voice startled him, and he got up quickly, narrowly missing his head on his workshop's low support.

"Jon… and Alex? What's this about?"

Jonathan grimaced, "The p-… a… mutual friend of ours has been kidnapped by thieves. We need to borrow your boat so we can stop them quickly!"

The oil stained man nodded, before motioning them to follow him. "Well, why the hell didn't you say something sooner? Come with me!"

Moving with a speed surprising for his bulky frame, he quickly lead them to a craft, a bit smaller than a passenger boat but no less impressive, off of the only pier to the island.

Jonathan pointed in the direction of Fiona's forest. "Taban, we need to get there as fast as possible!"

The inventor leapt up to the stern, taking the wheel. "Secure yourselves gentlemen. I haven't tried it on the fastest setting yet, but I'm sure we're going to be in for a hell of a ride!"


	3. Chapter 3

Authors Note: Moving right along. I'm on break now, so I'll see exactly how much of this I can work with.

--

An eerie calm penetrated the serene forest. Legends stated that a machine made of metal had cultivated it, either from an unknown civilization of vast technology in the past, an automaton of alien origin, or a time traveler from the distant future.

As theorists had stated time and time again, time travel as they had seen it was impossible due to several points, most of which dealt with things going back to the past from an as of yet uncertain future.

We know that we can travel forward in time easily enough, for in our every day lives, we live out time as a constant forward motion. But how would one go backwards along that path? Could one travel to a period in time before they even existed?

Most of us see time as a line, a timeline if you will, supposedly there are ways to travel forward and backwards on this line, however scientific methods deemed this possibility impossible, as impossible as humans that could use the powers of magic.

Popular views stated that the hero Crono, and many of his friends were from a time in the future, but many disregarded these as the ramblings of a hero with a troubled mind. Even though Sir Jonathan had dispelled the rumors of his ancestor, Glenn, having mental issues from being a frog for ten years of his life, there were still many who considered his claim of having allies from all across the timeline to be impossible.

Even the Legendary machine that planted the forest was supposedly one of these allies who fought against the Dark Lord Magus, and the Sisterhood of Fiona, the caretakers of the forest, believed the statements as truth, and set up a shrine, which also doubled as one that would await the coming heroes who would shape the entirety of the timeline.

The shrine was known for the safeguarding of holy artifacts as well, as Jonathan had to visit on occasion to undergo a ritual with the Masamune, usually it dealt with new members of the Sisterhood speaking with the summoned Masa and Mune, who would offer guidance from time to time. Jonathan figured the creatures really enjoyed speaking with the young girls, though he wondered about their motives at times.

--

Stories of Chrono Trigger Before the Tale

_Chapter 3_

--

"Jon."

The swordsman was roused at his friend's urging. "What is it, Alex?"

"Why are we waiting around here? Should we not be elsewhere, looking for a better vantage point?"

Jonathan shook his head, focusing on his sword for a moment.

"No… even a thief will pass along here, for the paths through the forest are too rough to make good headway. The fact that there is a hostage to consider would also hinder them, so this would be the fastest path, if they were indeed on their way to Porre. Since I already had the pier in Truce shut down, there would be no other way. Besides, when they do come near, my sword will resonate, nothing jarring, mind you, but Masa and Mune will definitely let me know."

Alex raised an eyebrow in confusion, "I guess I should not doubt magical creatures that inhabit a sword, but could they find her even from where they are?"

Jonathan nodded, "They are certainly mysterious creatures, but they say that it would be no problem for them to find Marle."

Though Jonathan never asked why, Marle had a certain item, made from the same material as his sword, which caused the resonance to occur.

"I've sighted them, gentlemen."

The two turned to the inventor, who had a curious scope in his hands. He displaced it, pulling out a large two-handed hammer from his travel gear.

"So much for your resonance idea, Jon."

"It would have been useful if we had to pick them out in a crowd, but to be the only group coming this way…"

"Just admit that science will win out in the end."

"I cannot admit what I am not sure of…"

"_Sir Jonathan. Allow us the pleasure of showing him what magic is capable of."_

Jonathan concentrated for a moment, before the sword began glowing. All of a sudden, the magical blade disappeared, and in its place was a small ruby dagger.

"Your… sword…" Alex mused.

Of course, he had seen the sword in this shape, when the magical beings had appeared before.

The wind stirred…

--

"So where is it that you are taking me? It looks like we are on the way to Porre by the sun's path…"

If anyone had noticed the young woman traveling with the unsavory bunch, they would have thought that she was a cohort of sorts, save for the bindings around her. In reality, as soon as she had been surrounded by all of them, she thought that playing the part of a docile woman would keep them from attempting to hurt her. And when they let down their guard…

"Heh, missy, yer certainly a talkative one," mused the lead man, stout, and with distinctive scars across his grizzled face. "Good thing yew got a pretty singsong voice, or I'd've shut ye up by now."

"Oh!" She tried to put a hand over her mouth, but the rope bindings kept her from moving them past her waist. Also, the rope around her neck would chafe if she made unnecessary movements, "I am so dreadfully sorry!"

"Now now missy, I didn't mean that yew should shut yer yap, t'is music that passes the time, that I be sure of."

One of the other brigands spoke up, "So boss, what're we plannin' wit her?"

"As soon as we got a piece of da Truce fortune, we can get to building that great seaworthy ship, and travellin' to find the lost treassr down south like I been tellin' you boys about!"

"The ship dats da big shots can't get us?"

"Right! Rather than wait on those idjuts to stop der sqabblin' we'll pony up da gold ourselves!"

"Oh!" exclaimed Marle, "You mean I am going to meet others like you?"

"Naw missy, the guys wot pay us gold don't act like us much at all. Civilized folk like yerself."

"So wait? What will you do when you get the gold? What will I do?"

"Yew? Missy, yer welcome to go wherever ye please once we get that gold! Yew can go back to that Truce man if ye wish, or iff'n ye be really good, yew can travel the seas wit us!"

She feigned dropping her head, trying to play the part of the naïve captive.

"But I am not skilled except in my education. Whatever would I be able to help you all with?"

A few of the men snickered while the leader smiled, showing that he was missing a few teeth, "Why missy, I'm sure there's a few holes wot can be filled."

She inwardly groaned as the men erupted in raucous laughter. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a few small quickly moving forms that seemed to fade in and out of reality. As the wind picked up, she smirked, understanding the significance, as she suddenly fidgeted.

"Oh dear sirs, I am afraid to bother you, but I am afraid this long walk has made me very uncomfortable. I need to expel water from my body… can we please stop for a bit?"

The lead man smiled, a strange look in his eye, "Certainly, missy!" He loosened the bindings around her hands, though keeping the lead around her neck.

She started to move towards the edge of the woods, but found that the rope around her neck was still within a firm hold.

"We don't trust ye yet though, that's as far as yer goin'"

She noticed all the men had amused glares, though she inwardly smirked as she also noticed that they all had their eyes on her. She continued to play her part.

"Oh! But sirs… I have only ever expelled water in privacy… to do so in front of people is unnecessary! And I really have to…"

The lead man smirked, "What now missy? Yer too good fer us? We can't let ye outta our sight. Get to it so we can move on!"

She sighed, moving her hands to the band around her waist holding up her pants. She slowly made to lower them when all of a sudden:

"Hey, were did Jarvis go?"

"Wha?! Les is missin' too!"

"Eh, there went Fergus!"

"Mr. Gerad…. Boss… I don know wut's going on here, but all the men are-"

And suddenly it was just the leader, as he looked around at where the men used to be, he suddenly heard a knife being drawn, and the rope he was holding went slack. He turned to see his captive holding an intricate knife in her hands.

Of course, he'd never thought to search her, especially in the bustle to take her away. He was caught in this thought, drawing his own knife, when all of a sudden two mystic-looking creatures appeared between his captive and himself.

The green adorned one of the two nodded to the girl; "Let us take it from here, Marle. That diversion was well timed!"

"Thank you Masa! And you too, Mune!" She also nodded to the blue adorned twin.

Gerad, as he was last called, groaned as he realized that his intricate plans were ruined. As he was about to turn and run, he found all of his men with various mortal wounds on their bodies, noticing this, he turned to the two creatures.

"So I'm guessin' yer wit her, and yew did that to me men."

Masa smirked, "I suppose we can grant you a boon before we dispose of you. In short, you picked the wrong girl from the wrong noble family to mess with."

"I don't suppose ye'll give me a hint?"

She smirked, "Let us just say it is very old, and very well established."

"Marle," Mune murmured, "This is more for your benefit, but I'd appreciate it if you turned around… I don't want you to see what we're going to do to this sicko."

She nodded, glancing at the man before smiling and responding in her previous singsong voice, "So sorry sir! I am afraid I will have to look away so they cannot show me where they will take you! I do hope we will meet again some time!"

As she whirled around, she heard him snarl, "Yer a crafty one, and no mistake! Just like the ones who coin me! I shudda known never to trust ye as much as I did! Yer a crafty bi-"

Suddenly he was silent, except for the sickening squish that Marle heard. While she knew Masa and Mune to be good creatures at heart, she also figured that since they bonded with their wielder to an extent, that Sir Jonathan's influence caused them to be a little more bloodthirsty than she had thought previously. Now that she thought about it, wasn't there a gradual change among the Knight Captains at times…?

"Marle, if you would turn to your left and not look this way, Sir Jonathan would like to see you safe, run along now…"

"Thank you Masa…" she softly spoke, before running towards the direction she faced, not wanted to see what was left of Gerad.

--

The relieved faces of Jonathan and Alexander were almost too much for her to bear, but she managed to keep tears from coming as she ran to greet them. Alexander fiercely hugged her while Jonathan strode over to her, speaking condescendingly.

"Marle, if you had any idea what I'd have to face from your f-… family… well… look, just don't do anything like that from now on. I'll live a long life for sure if you keep yourself out of trouble…"

"Oh Sir Jonathan, I am terribly sorry. You have my word, for sure… Alex has reminded me of the responsibility that many of us have come to take control of… while there is much to think of, never again will I go against my family's wishes."

She noticed that Alexander had not been the first to speak up, though after that statement, he loosened his hug to smirk, "Well, do not follow everything that they say. You are your own person, as I am, but we must still bring honor to our families, right?"

She smiled broadly as he broke the hug and the two lead her along with Taban to his boat.

"You are absolutely right, Alex. I need to face what my family asks of me…" She gazed at him as he looked back a little surprised, "And I will tell them that I have made my choice."

She stepped on the boat before the other two, though Alexander was a little confused at what she meant by her particular word choice. Jonathan smirked as he smacked his friend across the back. Suddenly he looked down at his sword and noticed it was whole again.

"Looks like we're finished here…" He watched as Alexander began to idly converse with Marle, with Taban throwing in an anecdote or two at times. "And there's still time for the big surprise tomorrow…"

--

Author's note: Wow! I guess there's a stopping point. I played around with the idea of this chapter for a long time, and finally wrote the end of it up. I had issues figuring out exactly how depraved to make the brigands, and figured I would try to keep to my original rating by only using innuendo and light descriptions as needed, try not to explode at me too much if it's not your cup of tea!

By the way, the brigand Gerad has no similarities with the awesome Edgar Figaro, I just couldn't come up with a better name for the leader of the small band of bad guys here.

You guys can thank Nanaki for uploading more of his stuff, it gave me the wakeup call I needed to get my writing skills up to speed again, have fun reading this! The end is on its way!


	4. Epilogue

Author's Note: The Exciting epilogue! Of course, after this, it isn't over. I have a whole timeline already written out, I just have to figure out how to convey it properly. As for now, a simple matter of the truth needs to be told.

The ancient castle was a mystery to him. Along the walls were portraits of the previous Knight Captains, each one with their own story to tell, with one such Captain having two separate portraits at different times of his life, once as a Frog, and once as a human.

The mystery itself was that said pictures were in the throne room rather than at the grand table where the Knights had their meetings, perhaps the pictures themselves were a constant reminder to the royals about a strong leadership of the Knights, and how important they were to the whole of history.

Jonathan's picture, of course, fit rather well alongside his ancestors, though at the time of it's painting, he noticed that the current Knight Captain took his post at a younger age than the others. Perhaps times of peace lead to early retirement, or perhaps Jonathan was really that good by comparison. As he previously had heard, Jonathan could possibly be Sir Glenn's equal, save for his fabled magical power, of course.

Before Sir Glenn, the Knights weren't discounted, as their pictures still hung proudly, but they seemed out of place without the Masamune by their side. The presence of the sword seemed to make the Captains stand out more as great swordsmen. Perhaps the most intriguing of all the previous pictures was that of the first, which of all the paintings there seemed to be timeless. Prometheus Guardia stood proudly by the side of six others, and in fact it was the only picture in the hall that included more than one person. In it, the first King, General of the resistance and considered the greatest in the land at his prime, stood with six others, those who had profound influence in securing a better future for the land.

Prometheus stood by the side of his Queen, an ethereally beautiful woman by the name of Schala, whose cascading blue hair would have been out of place, except for the man beside her, the mystical Clairvoyant, whose hair looked exactly the same. Near him were his apprentices, whose actions were the final strike for peace, timeless warriors that only had equals in the Knight Captains themselves. The warrior Monk, Tirion, and his soon-to-be wife, Freya the Lancer, whose descendants went on to become powerful Knights who were of similar repute to the Triggare family, the Ninjas Kage and Miko, whose descendants apparently were in some kind of underground group that did operations for the crown…

Come to think of it, wasn't Jonathan training a man who wielded a spear and had amazing martial arts abilities?

--

Stories of Chrono Trigger: Before the Tale

_Chapter 4_

--

"Alex; looks like you're up."

He inwardly groaned, and looked around the throne room. Scores of suitors had been discussing various political upheavals throughout the world and other things, but few actually concentrated on the portraits around the room. Alexander figured the other mayors' sons were not that interested in the past of the Kingdom, rather leading the Kingdom.

The wizened King smiled over at Alexander, who bowed as he was noticed.

"Young Alexander, Sir Jonathan and I were talking about a certain incident that occurred recently. You journeyed rather far as of recent, and yet you are still here to do your duty for your family. I must say, I find that rather impressive."

Alexander inwardly groaned again as he saw the fierce eyes of all the other nobles watching him; he merely smiled at the King as he bowed.

"I have taken many trips in my life to see this world. While I wish to see the influence of how far every family has spread, it is still good for me to do service to my family when I am needed to do so. My father made an effort when I was young so that I could see the world, though he had always wished to do so himself."

The King smiled, "I'm sure you will have much to tell my daughter, she's always interested to hear that sort of thing."

The eyes boring into Alexander made him uneasy, Jonathan watched the others jealous gazes and yawned.

"Forgive me, your majesty, but the sooner Lord Alexander does this, the sooner the princess can make her decision."

The King smiled, though Alexander could see the hint of a smirk, "From what I've been told… well, I think I will keep that a secret."

He looked to Jonathan, "Sir Jonathan, you and your family's service to the crown has always been exemplary, there is a matter that should be taken care of, but I fear the deliberation over the paperwork will take so long, that the next King will be working on it."

Alexander was unsure of what the King was talking about, though he and Jonathan had heard rumors of something in store for the Knight Captain's family…

Jonathan smiled, before motioning to the stairs, "Alex, what are you waiting for, get moving! I'll let you know what's going on later!"

--

Ascending the stairs seemed like a chore. For every step he took, Alexander mulled over the previous day's events in his head. Meeting Marle had changed his whole outlook on life, he was unsure whether he would ever find a same-spirited person of noble standing, but as luck would have it, a chance meeting had forged a new path for his future. Now to only find out what family she belonged to!

She seemed to know the fairgrounds, and she did not look the least bit lost as he had walked the nicer roads of Truce with her. She had to be from the area, perhaps one of the nobles besides the provincial mayors, likely the daughter of an upper house parliament member or perhaps…

Another floor passed by him as his mind worked out whom she could possibly be. It made sense that she was from the Truce area, as Jonathan's family had also been living there as long as the town had existed, but he did not know many other nobles that Jonathan could actually stand, save for himself and, of course, the King.

Perhaps it was someone he could not stand at all? That would not make sense though, the way he was so familiar with her could not possibly fit with that logic. There must be someone that he was not telling Alexander about, surely he would have met this family before…

He stopped at the top of the stairs, realizing he was only a short walk from the Princess' room. One of the maids greeted him with a strange smile.

"Lord Alexander Truce? Princess Aliza has been waiting for you…"

She giggled, "Oh my, you are as handsome as the rumors state, they say you are a rival to Sir Jonathan in that regard…" laughing again, she added, "I'll take my leave…"

Walking over to the closed doors, he knocked, hearing a strangely familiar, "Come in, Lord Alexander…"

He opened the doors, quickly turning to close them. He knew at this moment that he would be alone with the Princess, as was customary with all the suitors. After all, no one was expected to hear what they discussed. A few risqué rumors of the past spoke of strange ways in which the Princess would choose her favored suitor. Although, Alexander had dismissed these rumors as fuel for romance novelists…

The Princess giggled, "I have been waiting for you, Alexander, I could hardly contain my excitement."

She spoke with him in such familiarity he was a little off balance; of course, the fact that her voice was so eerily familiar was something of a mystery as well.

"Er… of course Princess, I have been looking forward to this meeting as well…"

She still faced away from him, unfortunately he could not see her face in the mirror, he could tell she sounded beautiful, it was fabled that all Princesses were as ethereally beautiful as the first Queen.

"Have you really been looking forward to this meeting, Alexander? Or are you merely following your family's duty?"

Jonathan! Alexander groaned as he realized that her familiarity with a close friend of his might cause issues with this meeting…

Wait… familiarity with Jonathan?

"Alexander, I know that you are a duty bound man, but would rather make your own choices for the future, correct? Of course, you are well traveled, so it would make sense that you wish for a similar freedom."

Her hair… though it was not blue like her ancestors, still, that curious color…

"It is not right for you to not have a choice in this matter… though would you truly be against the thought of marriage with me?"

She turned around at that moment, looking him in the eyes. She crossed the room towards him and he found he could no help but meet her in the middle.

He reached a hand up to her face, and as she did not move to stop him, he caressed it slowly, before dropping it to her shoulder.

"I-… it's y-… uh… m-… Marle?"

She smiled, "If you could keep this secret with me… every Princess since the daughter of Queen Leene has taken to calling themselves that. It has been rumored that we all look very much like her…"

His bulged eyes could not hide his surprised, though he had been playing around with the possibility of her being one and the same with his kindred spirit, though however impossible it had originally seemed to him.

She continued, "As the legend goes, the warrior herself is a Princess of an unknown future, as Queen Leene mentioned she was a descendant. Every Princess calls themselves Marle in hopes that they will one day be spirited back to that once simple time, and fight the Wizard Magus with the hero, Crono."

She motioned over to a picture on the wall, "And over there is a picture the Queen had painted of just the two of them, apparently they were to be married at some undisclosed time…"

Jonathan gazed on the picture, "She does look like you…" the picture of Crono however… "My God, he looks like Jonathan! Have you shown him this?"

She nodded, "I have, though it confuses him. The man in the picture does not even have the Masamune with him, so he is unsure if the man is a family member or not…"

"Perhaps he is a descendant of Jonathan's, like she is a descendant of yours?"

Marle smirked, "Just my descendant? Or is she yours as well?"

An eyebrow raised, "That depends if I can win the tournament of nobles or not, there is still that to deal with."

A longstanding tradition for whenever there was a Princess (which had been standard since Queen Leene), a tournament was held where warriors fought for nobles who wished to take the hand of the Princess. The Princess making her choice of a suitor simply meant that the favored suitor was moved farther in the bracket, only needing to fight the final battle.

She grinned, "I already spoke with Sir Jonathan, while you seem like you want to do it, he would rather be the one to fight in your place. And if he's your chosen warrior…"

Alexander laughed, "Since he is second to none, then so am I!"

Before he could speak further, she kissed him, completely stopping whatever train of thought that was currently on his mind.

Finally, he caught it; "I had not wholly anticipated this happening… though I should have been listening to Jonathan when he said that I would have to meet you at some point…"

She genuinely smiled, "Fate works in mysterious ways, does it not?"

The following events would be among those most talked about for years to come.

--

"And from then on, my life was filled with a joy like none other. Wishes and dreams became a reality as I had longed for a life where I could do both the greatest duty to my family, and be happy for myself…"

The red haired man looked to the King, whose aging since then had been slow and proud.

"Of course, then, losing her was like an icy stab like none other, they say death can change one's outlook completely."

The listener nodded, as if he knew more about that subject than officially let on.

The King stopped suddenly, looking on as if he was viewing the events taking place.

"And then Jonathan did not disappoint, of course the Masamune would not let him, but as time has shown, one can do much no matter the weapon in their hands."

He produced a long parchment, "This had been deliberated over for years, and it is apparently what the Old King Guardia was speaking about…"

He paused again, presenting the parchment to the other man before speaking again.

"It brings me great honor to instate the Triggare family as a noble family, with all the privileges and responsibilities forthwith…"

He looked the man in the eyes.

"I had hoped to say that to your father… but it seems fate's mysterious ways are not always for the best…"

He paused again, thinking before every word he spoke, "… and had I realized who you were before I was told of some terrorist that had kidnapped my daughter, I would have completely stopped the whole thing…"

The red haired motioned, about to speak, but was stopped, "Crono, I owe you an apology for that whole misunderstanding. You have truly lived up to the future that was ordained for you, and in doing so, you will be remembered for the whole of history… already a hero before you were born, how many can say that?"

Crono smiled, "Not much, your majesty."

"Right! Anyhow, there is one thing I must ask of you right now, Sir Crono…"

He smirked, knowing that he had actually been knighted far in the past, which made for an interesting story to tell.

"You must do a duty for your family, as all noble men must… however, I have not told her this particular news as of yet, and as you know what today is…"

Before Crono could move, the King also presented a portrait to him.

"When the Princesses' room was remodeled, this portrait had been curiously displaced. Apparently one of the cleaning staff thought it better to be placed with the artifacts, since two people who apparently looked like those pictured did not end up together, but now I see who it was meant for…"

Crono eyed the portrait, seeing how old it was. Seeing himself pictured before he actually had the painting completed was a little eerie, even though he expected similar things from Time Traveling.

The King seemed to be staring off into the past again as he continued, "So as I said before, you should do your duty and…"

He found he was speaking to air as Crono had already raced up the stairs. He genuinely smiled as he climbed the stairs to the Throne room, where other nobles were waiting.

"Well, time to keep up appearances, I suppose. I wonder what you would have done in his shoes, Jon?"

--

"Princess…"

Nadia turned to the maid, sighing.

"I have been dreading this day for many years now, and even as I have completely faced it, I fear an uncertainty for the future…"

The maid sighed, "I know who you were hoping for, Princess, I must say I am just as disappointed, since he is a much greater man than all the nobles, but since he is not one himself…"

As the Princess was about to despair further, a maid outside knocked quickly, "Princess, apparently there was one final order of business… the last suitor is here."

Marle, as her mother had also been known, sighed, "I thought I was finished… very well, I will need to see him alone."

As the maids left, she turned toward the mirror, looking down so she could not see the suitor's face.

The door opened and closed, with an uncomfortable silence.

"Look, it's not you, it's me…" Marle started, "before you say a word, let me make it clear that I was hoping someone else could be here. I know I will have to make a choice, and it's been my biggest regret that I can't have who I want, but it looks like I have to make this fair for everyone."

The man did not say a word, but she heard him stepping closer. She saw a hand reach around her, and place a small portrait on the desk holding the mirror. She looked down at it confused until she saw the picture of the two people.

"This portrait looks old… definitely Queen Leene's era for certain, but it looks like me and…"

She turned around quickly, face-to-face with the man she had journeyed with.

"Crono?"

He smiled, "Surprise, Marle."

She threw her arms around him, sobbing.

"Please, tell me this isn't a dream! That picture, everything, I-… I'm not sure what to…"

He brought a hand to her face, caressing it slowly before slowly dropping it to her shoulder.

"It seems as much a dream to me as well. Your father told me that was a memento of Queen Leene's that was lost sometime during remodeling; apparently it's been near all the artifacts. I'm surprised you didn't see it when you were last down there."

She sighed, "The first time, I was talking to a strange ally of ours about a certain Clairvoyant… something tells me that's something we must have already fixed in the past and will eventually have to deal with… and the second time, we were looking for the Rainbow Shell, remember?"

Crono smiled, hugging Marle, "How could I forget? Queen Leene certainly had a wonderful note that she left for you. I bet it was after this portrait will be… er… was painted."

Marle giggled, "Time Travel certainly makes things complicated, doesn't it?"

Crono smirked, suddenly dropping a hand to his sword.

"Speaking of that, or rather, speaking of that journey we seem to take often, I suppose I will need to see if I can find Sir Glenn and get some practice in for the tournament of nobles… I certainly wouldn't want to lose my big fight, right?"

She smiled, "Somehow, I think this will be a piece of cake compared to Lavos, but I'm sure you'd like to bring him back with you just so he can see this. Isn't it funny, it's almost like you were destined to meet him so he could be a further source of inspiration, huh?"

Crono genuinely smiled, "Fate works in mysterious ways, doesn't it?"

--

Author's Note: Wow, one session, and I've worked through it! This epilogue has a nod to "Forward to the Past" though as this tale was originally intended, this shows the timeline as it had been affected by previous events. It's an interesting thing to think about how the team can deal with learning about things that they completed, but haven't completed yet, a certain dilemma that I hope I never have to face.

Enjoy this breaking of my writers block, hopefully I can find a few more things to talk about, like a certain story of Jonathan's, and perhaps another Journey for the Chrono Trigger team!

Writing this story, I found that I left a small piece of myself to each character, rather than writing in a character based on myself. In Jonathan, the sometimes duty I have to try and follow something larger than myself. In Alexander, a want to travel, though I have traveled to a few places already… I could spend an entire chapter talking about this alone.

Hopefully I won't write something worthy for the Fanfiction Force. So feel free to leave comments in my reviews if it looks like I'm starting down that slippery slope again!

- Novalon


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